The Academy varsity softball team is off to a great start. The team competed in the silver bracket of the Maryknoll Tournament from Feb. 12-14, taking home 1st place.

Captains seniors Colby Rosado, Caroldine Huihui-Awa and Divine Victorino led the team to victory.

Coach Ashley Fernandez said, “This is my first year of coaching softball here and one of the hardest things that I’ve seen is the motivation drive and competitiveness that some of the girls lack. That is what I want to help the girls gain.”

With a new coaching staff and a different team than last year’s, earning the silver bracket championship was a monumental confidence-builder for the Lancers.

Huihui-Awa said, “We believed that we could compete with anybody and it came down to who had more heart and who wanted it more. We are a very small team and that has been a big challenge for many years.”

The team hopes to have a good season in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu (ILH) where it competes against powerhouse schools, including Punahou, Mid-Pacific, Pac-Five and Kamehameha.

Fernandez said, “I don’t care about the score. The main thing is that they support each other, back each other up, and keep fighting until the end and never give up. I hope to instill a positive mindset in each of the players.”

Photo credit: Colby Rosado